Ian ‘The Gas Man’ Moore raises over £2,700

Saintfield man, Ian ’The Gas Man’ Moore, recently completed an endurance challenge, raising over £2,700 to support our work. The challenge saw Ian running 4.2 miles every hour, on the hour and in total, he ran the equivalent of two marathons in just 13 hours.

Ian first got involved with Friends of the Cancer Centre in 2018, running the Belfast City Marathon in memory of his friend’s wife. His love for running started much earlier, in 2002, when his own mother passed away. Running his first marathon in 2008, Ian has now completed the Belfast City Marathon five times as well as taking on lots of other running challenges.

Explaining why he took on the endurance challenge for Friends of the Cancer Centre, Ian said:

“I decided to do the endurance challenge after hearing how charities are struggling due to the effects of Covid-19. I really enjoy running, so I thought, why not do what I love and try to raise some money at the same time?. This challenge, compared to normal marathons, was one of mind over matter as the endurance element meant that I had very little break between running each 4.2 mile circuit. Although I started off at 12pm on Friday, doing the first loop on my own to get into my stride, I was joined throughout the day by friends and family and this really kept me going. The support from my wife, friends, running buddies from the Saintfield Striders and even my Pastor really spurred me on and I think some people surprised themselves by how far they had run too.

One of the most moving parts of my run was when I learned that a man had sponsored me. He is a cancer patient and it was mind-blowing to me, to think that someone would make a donation to help other people when he was undergoing treatment himself. I’ll never be able to thank that man, but his donation made me realise how important it is to give back and help make a difference to other people.”

Halfway around the midnight loop, Ian reached his personal goal of completing two marathons and finished his challenge at 1am on Saturday morning.

Our Corporate Fundraising Manager , Ana Wilkinson, said:

“Ian has completed an incredible challenge and he is such an inspiration. It is only thanks to people him and everyone who sponsored him, that Friends of the Cancer Centre has been able to support local families for over 35 years and continue our support throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. The money Ian has raised will make a huge difference to the lives of patients and their families right across Northern Ireland.”

If you are thinking about taking on your own challenge and would like to raise money for Friends of the Cancer Centre, please get in contact with Ana who will provide you with all the fundraising materials you need to make your fundraising a success. You can reach Ana on 07775688291 or email [email protected].